HISTORY_OF_ARCHITECTURE.txt

architectural ornament depicting a rod with foliage, almonds and sometimes a serpent twined around it; from biblical episodes in which Aaron placed his staff before the tabernacle,after which it bloomed, and before the Pharaoh,at which it became a serpent; see also staff ofAsclepius, Mercury.

Lat.; a flat squared slab at the very top of a classical column, the upper part of a capital above an echinus and below an entablature

slaughterhouse; a building in which animals are slaughtered for the production of meat and other products.

a community of monks over seen by an abbot, or of nuns by an abbess; also the main buildings of this community.

the moisture content of air measured as the weight of water vapour per unit volume of air; SI units are kg/m3.

the lowest attainable temperature,equivalent to 0 degree C kelvin or -273.16degree C.

in room acoustics, a measure of the capacity of a material or construction to absorb sound of a given frequency incident upon it.

metric sabin

1 a material property, the ability of asolid to absorb a liquid, radiation, energy etc.2 thermal absorptivity.3 see light absorptivity.

a branch of art which is non representational or freely represents reality in the form of patterns and colours.

• 1 the meeting place, joint or lap of two adjacent components, parts of construction etc.
• 2 the planar joint formed by two surfaces or edges placed adjacent to or touching one another.
• 3 the meeting of the upper edge or verge of a pitched roof and a balustrade, parapet or upperwall surface; especially the vertical surface or structure which rises from this.
• 4 the part of a loadbearing system or member from which loads are supported.
• 5 walling or support on either side of the impost of an arch to prevent it from splaying outwards.
• 6 see bridge abutment.
• 7 see end abutment.

a genus of bushes and hard wood trees from warm climates. Acacia melanoxylon, see Australian blackwood.

Lat.; carved and decorative ornament found especially adorning classical Corinthian capitals,based on stylized leaves of the Mediterranean acanthus plant, Bear’s breech or brank-ursine

• 1 in town and traffic planning, a measureof how easily and by which mode of transport aparticular area can be reached.
• 2 the ability of a component or construction to beeasily accessed for maintenance, repair, replacementetc.

• 1 a ladder attached to the externalwall of a building to provide maintenance access to the roof; also called a roof access ladder.
• 2 see roof ladder.
• 3 see chimney ladder.
• 4 loft ladder, see disappearing stair.

a folding door with a number of hinged vertical panels which fold together when the door is open.

acoustical; dealing with or based onsound, or the treatment of sound.

an imperial unit of area equivalent to 4047 m2.

in classical Greek architecture, a citys tronghold or fortress constructed on higher ground than surrounding urban fabric

acroter; in classical architecture, a plinth or pedestal for statues, set at the apex or eaves of a temple; also often the statues or ornaments themselves;plural acroteria; Latin form is acroterium,Greek is akroterion.